Island Home’s schedule affected by Katama

The ferry Katama backs into a slip in Woods Hole Tuesday morning. Early morning trips by the Katama have been canceled due to weather. - George Brennan

Updated Oct. 17

For the second day in a row, the MV Katama remains on the sidelines and it’s affecting the last run of the day of the MV Island Home. It’s the same thing the Steamship Authority did Tuesday with the Katama out of service.

The SSA has also canceled the 5:20 pm crossing of the MV Governor Wednesday due to weather conditions, according to a separate alert.

Back to the Island Home, the SSA issued the following alert on Wednesday afternoon: “The MV Island Home will run its originally scheduled 8:30 pm Woods Hole to Vineyard Haven trip tonight. The MV Island Home will then secure for the night in Vineyard Haven. The MV Island Home’s 9:30 pm trip will be canceled. The last trip departing Vineyard Haven tonight will be the MV Nantucket’s 8:30 pm trip. The Island Home will then depart Vineyard Haven at 5 am Thursday and resume its normal operating schedule at 6 am departing Woods Hole.

Travelers have been asked to continue to check the SSA website and to call 508.548.3788 or 508.693.0367.

This all stems from the Katama having mechanical problems.

“The MV Katama had a failure of one of its main engines while traveling to Vineyard Haven on its 6:30 am trip. The U.S. Coast Guard gave permission for the vessel to return to Woods Hole under the power of one engine,” spokesman Sean Driscoll wrote Tuesday.

The ferry backed into a slip in Woods Hole and unloaded at about 8 am Tuesday. The Island Home ferry was delayed by about 20 minutes and finally began loading for its 8:15 am crossing at 8:15. The Island Home finally left the slip at around 8:30 am.

Driscoll wrote that the delay was due to the Katama.

The Katama has since been taken out of service and at the SSA’s Fairhaven repair facility, Driscoll wrote. “We are working on reaching out to our customers who had reservations on board the M/V Katama to rebook them on other trips,” he wrote. “Standby on trips leaving the island is temporarily closed but should reopen late tonight. The residual delays experienced as a result of the Katama being unexpectedly berthed in Woods Hole should resolve throughout the morning.”

Updated to add more Katama cancellations and more information from SSA. -Ed.